What is Torque Converter and Why it is coming back from dead?

Hermann Fottinger (a german scientist) devised and received a patent in 1905 on a torque converter, opening move towards an automatic transmission.

In 1939, General Motors became the primary manufacturer to use a coupling during a mass-produced automobile once they introduced their Hydromantic Transmission.

How a Torque Converter works:

A converter is a fluid coupling system that takes the place of a clutch assembly during a manual transmission. It allows the engine to show independently from the transmission. When you are at a stop, the engine is popping slowly, and therefore the amount of torque browsing the converter is low.

As you tread on the gas and therefore the engine revs higher, the quantity of torque transmitted to the converter increases, and therefore the vehicle begins to maneuver.

The emergence of the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) moved the sport on and appeared like the last word, vastly improving on AMT and its single-clutch by shifting without interrupting the flow of torque.

What is DCT?

A dual-clutch transmission (DCT) may be a sort of multi-speed vehicle transmission, that uses two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets. The design is often similar to two manual transmissions with their respective clutches contained within and working as one unit.

Torque Converter back with New BMW M3:

The new M3 is being offered within the UK armed with the ZF 8HP torque converter automatic, which is now in its third generation and has been steadily developed since its introduction in 2009.

The 8HP may be a prime example of the fashionable super-efficient automatic drive. Internally, the flow of cooling oil is often increased or reduced as required to save lots of the quantity of energy consumed by the cooling pump. The pump supplying pressure for the gearshift actuation system is electrically driven to stay it working while the engine is packed up for extended start/stop and coasting periods.

Most importantly, the minute control over ‘shift point optimization’ to maximize fuel consumption that it gives engineers is so good that it’s very hard to better it. The 8HP can handle up to 1,000Nm ‘input’ torque from the engine, easily accommodating the M3’s 649Nm. It weighs 87kg, which is relatively light but still roughly doubles that of a 6-speed manual.

The automatic transmission technology has gone full circle, from torque converter through AMTs and DCTs and back to the torque converter.

All Charge System:

In IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2017, technology provider Continental presented its ‘All Charge System’–the universal solution for many cable-based charging of electric vehicles, the company said that its technology is based on the components of a conventional electric Powertrain (comprising electric motor and inverter–for switching between DC and AC power).

Since constant AC/DC switching at different voltages is already an inherent feature of the electrical power train, these components already possess all the required capabilities to function as a charging system. By exploiting these capabilities, Continental has been able to provide interoperability with different charging technologies using an onboard, vehicle-based solution.